Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) is a chubby 13-year-old terror who is deposited at a remote farm in the New Zealand bush by a cynical social worker as a last chance of avoiding juvenile detention. Warmly received by chirpily voluble Bella (Rima Te Wiata), but with much less enthusiasm by her grumpy husband Hector (Sam Neill), the sullen boy tries to run away and gets nowhere, but Bella's insistent cajoling ultimately wins him over. When Bella's sudden death sends Ricky fleeing into the wild, Hector follows, and the pair bond while being hunted by scores of police, soldiers, and vigilantes who believe that Hector has kidnapped the kid. Director Taika Waititi's Hunt for the Wilderpeople might initially sound like an earnest afterschool special, but it's really a quirky and funny delight, featuring outrageous scenes involving strange folks whom Ricky and Hector bump into during their adventures. Charmingly off-kilter, this family movie is highly recommended. (F. Swietek)